The Peasant Diet.
Gout has plagued people for centuries. Hundreds of years ago it was know as the "rich man's disease" or "kings disease". This was probably true since the rich's diet was very different from those of lesser means. The rich were able to afford wine and rich, fatty foods where the poor's diet consisted of mainly coarse brown breads and vegetables.
Gout is a form of acute arthritis found in the joints. When uric acid builds up in a person's body it creates a condition called "hyperuricemia". Not everyone who has hyperuricemia develops gout. Gout is created when needle shaped crystals deposit around joints and cause pain, redness, and swelling. Anyone can get gout, but it seems that men over 40 and post menopausal women are the ones affected most.
When someone has their first attack of gout, it usually occurs in the big toe joint, also called the podagra. It is believed that the coolest parts of the body are attacked first, which is why the podagra is usually the most common place for it to strike first. But, gout has also been known to cause pain in other parts of the feet, arms, and hands.
When someone is experiencing a gout attack they might describe it as coming on very suddenly. The feet become red, swollen, and painful. Even placing a sheet on top of the feet can prove to be too painful to bare. Gout can be treated with a combination of rest, medication, and diet changes.
As for diet changes, you will want to avoid alcohol, red meats, fatty foods, and certain vegetables such as asparagus, cauliflower, beans, peas, mushrooms and spinach. Instead, you will want to include these foods:
Fruits: Fresh cherries, strawberries, tangerines, mandarins, oranges pineapple, blueberries, and bananas.
Vegetables: Celery, tomatoes, kale, cabbage, parsley, green-leafy vegetables, red cabbage, red bell peppers, and potatoes
Drinks: Fruit juices and purified water (8 glasses of water per day), low-fat dairy products, coffee, tea, and carbonated beverages
Complex carbohydrates: Breads, cereals, pasta, and rice
Fun Food: Chocolate and cocoa
Meats: Tuna and salmon
Maybe it wasn't so bad being a peasant.